Our Board

What does the Board do?

The Board of Directors provides direction to the co-op organization and oversees the operations of the store.

Board members are elected by member-owners using a majority vote as outlined in our bylaws. Board Elections are held once per year for vacant seats after the close of the previous fiscal year.

The KCFC Board of Directors consists of ten (10) Directors, and functions as the entity that is legally responsible for all business and financial decisions of the co-op and its committees, with all committees reporting to the Board. Elections occur at the close of our fiscal year in July for expiring terms, which last three years. Only Members may apply to be on the Board.

Board Meetings are currently held the fourth Wednesday of every month starting at 6:00pm, and member-owners are welcome to attend. Currently all board meetings are held in-person at Ashley's Pub.

 


Directors

 

Jeff Allen
President
Term: 2020 - 2022

Jeff grew up in Seattle and has lived in Kitsap County since 1990 when he began his teaching career in the Central Kitsap School District. He now serves as the Director of Youth Services at Olympic ESD where he supports youth and young adults with programs focusing on education, workforce development and juvenile justice reform.

He believes that it is the responsibility everyone to seek out ways in which they can contribute to a community that is welcoming, compassionate and equitable. A community owned grocery store is one element of such a place.

He believes a food cooperative is not solely about accessing quality local food. It is also about improving the community. Through outreach programs, educational opportunities and connecting other like minded organizations, the cooperative can serve as a catalyst for promoting a healthy and equitable life for ALL members of the community.

Jeff previously served as a director from 2012-2015.

 

Erinn HowellErin Howell
Director
Term: 2021 - 2024

With roots in Idaho, an upbringing in Northern California, a formal education at UCSB, and a thorough Seattle experience, Erinn relocated to Bremerton with her husband Collin and their fur babies to be closer to family and the beckoning call of The Olympics. A photographer by trade, she's owned and helped others start multiple businesses, proud to be the bridge builder within her growing community.

She spends free time traveling, exploring inlets and primitive campsites by canoe, securing "favorite auntie" status, researching soil & compost health, creating in the kitchen, managing the family general contracting business, and figuring out what to do with giant zucchini.

Justice driven, she also sits on the board for Kitsap Harvest, a multi-faceted gleaning organization fighting food insecurity throughout the county. She also works behind the scenes for Barnacles & Bees, an outdoor learning community providing foundational STEAM and early childhood environmental education. Her craziest stories involve her experience photographing four men who set a world record rowing across the Atlantic in 2006 and set off to do it again in 2013.

 

Elissa Torgeson
Clerk 
Term: 2021 - 2024

Elissa and her husband are proud natives who grew up right here in Bremerton. Manette has been their home for the past 22 years, where they raised their 3 children.

Elissa is an artist with over 20 years of experience between graphic design, web development/design and works from home as a User Interface Artist for Netflix Games/Boss Fight Entertainment.

After watching many of our local grocery stores close during the last decade created a passion in Elissa to be a part of a grocery store coop where local people can have access to local products and have their investments stay local rather than into the pockets of giant corporations.

Elissa served with the coop previously as a member of the Marketing Committee and then as a board member.

 

Wendie Pond
Treasurer
Term: 2021 - 2024

Wendie grew up on a farm in Seabeck and currently lives in Manette. Professionally she is a Healthcare Administrator but recently retired, leaving more time to focus on the things that are important to her. She is an avid gardener who finds joy in being able to walk out into her yard and pick food for her next meal. For Wendie, the next best thing is to shop at the co-op knowing that her lettuce was grown just up the street and her beef was feeding on pasture grass in the next county over.

Wendie joined the co-op in Oct of 2017 and immediately became an active volunteer. She was involved with opening the Pop-up shop located in the Sweet and Smokey Diner and was the Sunday volunteer that staffed the store. For the past 2 years she has been the Volunteer Membership Coordinator.

Wendie believes that the co-op is essential to Bremerton not just to provide groceries, but to provide a sustainable source of locally produced food. It is her belief that we have to change our methods of food production, distribution and consumption to create a better world and cooperative models are one way to do that. She believes that small-scale farming is the way of the future and supporting the co-op is one way to ensure that our small farmers don't disappear.

 

Lou Baum

Director
Term: 2023-2026

Lou has lived in Bremerton with her family for 3 years. Having lived in cold weather environments her whole life, she has learned to make many delicious soups, stews, and breads! Lou loves creating recipes from fresh ingredients found locally. She cooks from the heart and often forgets to measure out the ingredients.

The co-op has been her go-to store for local, fresh foods and tasty snacks! She is looking forward to sharing her love of food with the co-op community.

 

Ashley Martinez
Director
Term: 2022-2025

Hi, my name is Ashley Martinez, owner of Ashley's Pub in Downtown Bremerton, where I also live a few blocks away. When I moved here I had never set foot in WA but had a friend of a friend who needed a roommate. That leap of faith landed me in one of the most beautiful parts of our state and maybe the country! Despite the transient aspect of the Navy here, there is still a great sense of community here.

I want to help the co-op not just survive but thrive. Now that I am starting to have more time to reinvest in my Pub, I also want to make sure that I am re-investing with the community. I believe the world would be better with more servant leaders.

How can I help? Before opening the Pub, I spent 8 years at Keyport doing Admin work. First a year in IT (I consider myself fairly tech savvy), then the next 7 in Human Resources, mainly dealing with Training and New Hires but always learning other aspects. I hope my time & energy can benefit the co-op.